The IPCC told South Yorkshire Police about a statement it was due to make on revelations over the force’s cover-up of the disaster.

The forewarning from the deputy chairman of the IPCC came the day ­after the Hillsborough Independent Panel delivered its devastating verdict.

As pressure mounted on the ­authorities to launch a criminal probe into the findings, Deborah Glass gave Chief Constable David Crompton ­details of a statement to be put out by the IPCC.

In an email at 3.30pm on September 13, Mrs Glass thanked him for sending her a copy of a force statement.

She then included the IPCC’s own statement which said the report had raised “extremely serious and ­troubling issues for the police”.

It said it was reviewing the contents and intended to “liaise with the ­relevant parties to identify what should be ­investigated, and by whom”.

Emails obtained by the Daily Star Sunday show Mr Crompton acted ­immediately by sending the statement on to senior colleagues, including at least one involved in the policing at Hillsborough. Mr Crompton wrote: “FYI. We now need to determine what/who needs referring.”

A colleague later replied, saying a “good starting point” would be an ­assessment being carried out by an ­unnamed official ahead of a police ­authority meeting.

The IPCC put out its statement around half an hour after Mrs Glass’ email to Mr Crompton.

The complaints body has since launched its biggest-ever investigation into around 2,400 officers.

Last night Trevor Hicks, who lost two daughters in the 1989 tragedy, said: “We have huge concerns over whether we can trust the IPCC and this is a clear example of why that trust is going to take an awful long time to build.”

Margaret Aspinall, chairman of the Hillsborough Family Support Group, said: “In 23 years we have never been afforded the same courtesy.”

The panel’s report was seen as a great victory for the families of the 96 victims who had long suspected a cover-up of events at Sheffield.

The report revealed police had altered statements to remove negative ­comments about the policing, lies had been spread about Liverpool fans to try to deflect blame and as many as 41 ­victims could have been saved.

Other documents show South Yorkshire Police put together a ­desperate public relations strategy to try to limit damage ahead of the ­report.

The papers show that:

*Eight days before the report was ­released, a senior team involving the Chief Constable were working on a statement to put out.

*Assistant Chief Constable Andy Holt spoke to former force employee Sir Norman Bettison to get his account of his involvement in the disaster.

*The Chief Constable told senior ­colleagues some interviews would be “more friendly” and thought should beSClB given to “which questions we would ideally like them to ask”.

*Five days before the report, a file ­featuring the views of 22 MPs on issues surrounding Hillsborough was sent to the Chief Constable.

*The following day he proposed ­working on “FAQs which suit our case and then add/amend in the light of the HIP report”.

*Staff obtained insider knowledge from the BBC on who would ­present Newsnight on the day of the report.

Liverpool MP Steve Rotheram, whose comments on ­Hillsborough had been noted in the file sent to the Chief ­Constable, said: “It still seems there is an element of Big Brother trying to control the whole agenda.”

South Yorkshire Police said it wrote to all serving and retired officers involved in Hillsborough and “spoke personally with key individuals likely to be ­approached by the media, to inform them about the disclosure process.”

It said: “Sir Norman Bettison was one of the individuals informed of the ­disclosure process and archive launch, including that as a senior officer still serving he may be asked about his role on the day and afterwards.”

The IPCC said: “We believe it is ­appropriate for those directly involved in our considerations or investigations – whether they be complainants, next-of-kin or police forces – to know about our public statements shortly before they appear in the media wherever possible.”